Hi there. I just wanted to ask how you all handle publishing AI-assisted fanfics.
Over the past year I've written a massive fanfic set in the Star Citizen universe, already around 4,000–5,000 pages. So quite... a bit. ^^ The concept, characters, and story are all mine but the writing itself was done with AI (DeepSeek/Claude). Oh, and it's originally written in German... so publishing it in English would mean running it through an AI translation layer on top of everything else. English has a much wider reach, especially for a niche universe like Star Citizen. 😉
What started as a simple test (how does writing with AI actually work...), took on a life of its own. At some point it stopped being an experiment and became a real passion project. I'm autistic and this project has been a huge part of how I regulate... it became a genuine hyperfocus passion project. Means I wrote it for myself... But part of me wonders if I should keep it private. But another part wants to share it, getting feedback from actual humans instead of an AI. 😄
A few things I'm nervous about:
The AI slop thing... I know the creative community can be harsh about AI-assisted work. I want to be upfront about it, but I'm not sure how to present it without people dismissing it before even reading a word.
Aaand... the "Elara problem". In chapter one, back when this was still "just a test", I let the AI pick my main character's name. It landed on Elara of course. I've since learned that's basically the default AI protagonist name ever. 😅 But here's the thing: after a year with her, she's not just a name to me anymore. She's Elara. I don't want to rename her in 5,000 pages just because it sounds like a cliché.
So my questions:
- How do you disclose AI involvement (including translation) without leading with something that makes people freaking out?
- Where would you even publish something like this? AO3? Somewhere more AI-friendly?
- Any tips for keeping the "AI slop" comments manageable while still being honest?
Critics are ok... But for the story itself... Not the way it's written... (AI or not)
I hope I can find some help here. 😄
(This text was also translated with AI... Hope it's ok.)